Post Op
by dwparsnip
Summary: A tag to 'The Shrine'. Just my take on what could have happened in the Infirmary after the end of 'The Shrine'.


Once again, I don't own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters. MGM does as far as I know.

Tag for 'The Shrine' from a McKeller point of view...is there any other kind?

Haven't bugged anyone to beta it so all mistakes are my bad.

Thanks for reading.

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"Okay, I've finally gotten one McKay to go and get some rest," said Jennifer with a smile. "How about you make it two for two and get some sleep as well?"

"Actually, you've gotten a Miller to go and get some rest," replied Rodney from his bed, his snark now affected only by exhaustion and not the parasite that nearly took his life. "And she's sneakier than I am when it comes to disobeying doctor's orders." His eyes narrowed in mock contemplation. "She's probably off raiding the Mess for some chocolate pudding or something as we speak."

Jennifer shared a smile with her patient and put her hand on his shoulder. "You need to get some more rest, Rodney," she said quietly. "Your body needs time to recuperate and readjust to being without the parasite." She motioned with her head towards the empty food tray on the table on the other side of his bed and quipped, "And now that your belly is full you have no excuse."

She could see his eyes struggling to stay open. She could also see that he was fighting with more strength that he should have been expending. She moved up closer to the head of the bed and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Go to sleep, Rodney. I'll be here when you wake up."

Rodney smiled dreamily and said, "Promise?"

Jennifer returned the smile and nodded. "I promise." She saw his eyes start to surrender to the calling sleep and she repeated, "I promise."

His eyes closed and he said sleepily, "Hold you to it."

Jennifer gently caressed his shoulder for a few minutes, waiting to make sure he was asleep before leaving. Not that she was going far away, or for very long. She was only going to go to her office for a few minutes to retrieve some work that she intended to get done while she waited next to Rodney.

She heard his breathing change into the deeper and heavier breathing that came with sleep and couldn't help but marvel at how peaceful he looked, especially compared to the hyperactive Rodney she was used to dealing with. She removed her hand from his shoulder and quietly stepped away from his bed, then turned around and headed for her office.

She looked for her tablet and found it where she left it on her desk, then did a quick scan of the room to see if there was anything else she would need or want. She couldn't think of anything that would fall into either of those categories so she took a step towards the door, but she stopped when her eyes fell upon the remote for her video screen.

She'd played the part of Rodney's video log in which he admitted to her that he loved her a dozen times or more. Not that she really needed to see it so many times- she had it committed to memory. The first couple of times she watched it was to gauge Rodney's sincerity- no, not sincerity- his _competence_. Was it the parasite affected Rodney talking or, for lack of a better term, normal Rodney? In hindsight she knew it was the timid part of herself that watched, wanting to make absolutely certain she was hearing him correctly before she did or said anything to make a fool of herself. She was there with him when he said those words, only feet away looking directly at him and intent on his every word for comparison to the Rodney she knew and the Rodney that would come later. His recitation of the information they had agreed that he should repeat for each log wasn't perfect, but it wasn't terrible either. In her medical opinion, he was more himself than not.

Which meant that as far as she was concerned he meant it when he told her that he loved her.

Her finger grazed the play button and she was just about to push it when Ronon's voice from the doorway stopped her cold.

"How's he doing?" asked the big man.

Jennifer put the remote back on the desk as casually as she could and studied Ronon for a second, noting his droopy eyelids and the way he leaned heavily against the doorframe. "He's doing fine," she replied. Her head tilted slightly to the right and she said with a half grin, "He's sleeping, which is what you should be doing by the look of it."

"I was on my way," he said. He straightened up and added, "Night."

"Ronon," she called before he could even begin to turn around. When he looked at her she said, "Thank you, for being so adamant that we take him to the shrine." Jennifer looked down to a nondescript place on the floor between them and added, "He wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for you."

Ronon grunted and took a step inside her office so he could speak lower. "You saved him. Not me."

Jennifer looked up and gave him an appreciative smile. "Thanks, but that isn't true is it?" She sighed and folded her arms across her chest and leaned to the right so her hip rested against her desk. "I couldn't cure him, Ronon. I tried everything that I could think of and nothing worked." She hesitated for a second and added quietly, "I was going to keep him here…"

"You were keeping him here to keep trying to save him," Ronon stated unequivocally. He glanced behind him, checking to make sure that no one but Jennifer was about to be witness to what he was going to say. "We gave up on him, even Jeannie." Ronon stepped forward until he was right in front of her. "We took him there for one more day, so we could say good-bye. No one expected him to get better." He pointed his finger at her and added, "But even in that cave you kept trying. You figured out that the shrine shrunk the tumor and then you got it out of him." Ronon lowered his hand and gave Jennifer a shrug. "Where I come from, that's saving him."

Jennifer gave him a thankful smile. She picked up her tablet and placed in her left hand, then started for the door. As she passed by Ronon she put her free hand on his arm in a gesture of gratitude and said, "Thank you, Ronon." Her hand slipped from his arm as she moved on towards the door. She stopped at the threshold and looked across the way to Rodney.

"You never give up," said Ronon from beside her, and for a moment she wondered how someone so large could move so quietly. "That's one of the things he likes about you."

Jennifer immediately felt the telltale warmth of a flush hit her cheeks.

If Ronon noticed her discomfort he didn't let on. "He talks about you all the time when we're on missions, or in the Mess, or wherever."

"He does?" she asked, and she cursed herself for sounding so nervous, as though she were back in school and she was asking her best friend if a boy really liked her.

Ronon nodded, sending his dreads in all directions. "It's always Jennifer this and Jennifer that." He gave her a sidelong glance. "It makes us crazy."

Jennifer snorted though her nose as one is prone to do when they are caught off-guard by a funny comment. She turned to him and said with feigned offence, "Thanks a lot."

"Anytime," he replied deadpan. "Sheppard says," he hesitated for a moment and said, "McKay has the burns for you."

Jennifer's brow knitted in confusion, and then her face broke out into a mile wide grin. "Hots," she said, musical laughter lacing her voice. She turned towards him and said, "Not burns. Hots."

Ronon looked unconcerned about the exact wording, but tried the expression again. "He has the hots for you." Ronon gently nudged Jennifer with his arm. "I think you have the hots for him, too." He motioned to Rodney with his head and said, "Don't let him mess it up."

Jennifer opened her mouth to speak but she had no idea what to say. As it was, Ronon spared her any further embarrassment and walked out through the Infirmary.

Jennifer shook her head, more than amazed that she just received relationship advice from Ronon, and walked quietly towards Rodney's bed.

Keeping as silent as she could, she placed her tablet in the chair that Jeannie had vacated earlier and studied Rodney's face for any signs of pain or discomfort. She found none, nor did she expect to find any. He was free and clear of the parasite and his only problem now was exhaustion. Out of reflex she reached over and placed the back of her right hand against his cheek to check his temperature. It was far from scientific of course, but sometimes a gesture as simple as that could give the most meaningful comfort to patients.

He didn't seem to be warm and she turned her hand around so that her palm pressed softly against his cheek.

She smiled contentedly and moved her hand from his cheek, then reached down and picked her tablet up off the chair. She sat down and got as comfortable as the chair would allow, which wasn't a lot. After powering up the tablet she brought up the first item on her to-do list, and when she got to the fifth word in the paragraph she was reading something seemed to change.

She looked over to Rodney and, sure enough, he was looking at her through half-opened eyes.

"Go to sleep!" she said in a loud whisper. She knew the smile she had on her face was canceling out the authority she tried to instill in her voice, but she couldn't help it.

Rodney smiled and muttered, "Just checking," before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep.

Jennifer watched him for some time and then reluctantly tore her gaze from him to look back to the tablet in her lap. Yet, as she once again started looking over the report she had to complete, the only thing running through her mind was, _"When did I manage to fall in love with Rodney McKay?"_


End file.
